The first thing that made Kaitlyn and Tim McCallum worry was a strange mark on their son James’ back. James was born with a small scar that got covered in sores and grew into a huge lump that looked like a mole and covered most of his back. The McCallum family began a months-long journey of tests and question because they were worried about their child’s health.
Kaitlyn said, “At that point, the doctors weren’t really sure what it was.” She then said, “It looked like it was growing.” The lump became “fatter and more lumpy” over time, like a heavy turtle shell.
James was told he had a nevus, but surgery was needed because it was growing too quickly and could mean he had problems inside his body. James had surgery when he was two and a half months old to see if he had internal growth. Thankfully, there was none.
Following the effective surgery, James’s quality of life greatly improved, and so did that of his parents. Still, the McCallums were worried that the nevus might come back, so they asked for help and tips on a Facebook forum for people with similar illnesses.
They went to a specialist in Chicago to find a way to fix the problem. There, they decided to try tissue expansion, a cutting-edge method that involves growing “good” skin over the damaged area through surgery. Since September 2022, James has made a lot of progress and felt more at ease during the process, which is a good sign.
“The doctor puts the expanders under the skin, and then we injected them with saline once a week. This slowly makes the good skin that covers the nevus bigger,” Kaitlyn explained.
Because James responded so well to treatment, his parents are optimistic about his future. Kaitlyn said, “He’s so much happier and more at ease.” She thought James would not have nevus by summer.
Families who are going through similar problems can take comfort from the McCallums’ story, which shows how important it is to be persistent and creative in treating rare illnesses.